THE ORCHESTRATOR & THE CONDUCTOR

According to what we know, Maestro, known as the conductor that leads the nightmare symphony. Presumably the orchestra they conducted were symphonic-of-killing-machines, unknowing of further details. But that was more than enough to overthink the worst scenarios.

Overwhelming questions flooded his mind, Allen unconsciously bombarded with anxieties, it multiplied exponentially like a cancer. Trying not to judge things early, Allen has no choice but to wait for Noel’s explanation. He couldn’t unimagine the real Noel as some sort of high-level-commander unit, believing that: anyone witnessing this ability would think no different from his point of view. He had never seen a Yaksha unit or an Apex Seeker that could disintegrate a bullet into glitter before. Nor her ability to dominate machine controls, which surprisingly so otherworldly; Noel did not even require any devices to grant her absolute access. A bullet proof-commander sounds like the worst enemy could ever exist.

As he pondered the extent of Noel's powers, Allen began to question the nature of the Conductors: Perhaps—is this what we (human) call the power of telekinesis? But never heard of any telekinesis towards a non-livings before. Conductors, were they Deus ex machina the true god of machines (or maybe apostle)? Mind Controlling on machines with their pure conscious-minds is in a very different league. I rather not dare to imagine if all Conductors possessed abilities like Noel's

But then, why does Apex relentlessly seek her out so zealously?—Is it possible that conductors may not harness the same power as Noel? This experiment of Apex’s nefariousness will surely lead to our world doomsday or extinction soon. Apex is now causing something catastrophic on this planet, can they even control a primordial being like Noel . . . ?

—Lost in his thoughts, Allen was momentarily disconnected from reality. The background slowly fades in, and the arguing voice forcefully pulls him back to reality. The true identity of Noel has been revealed, and it is both shocking and terrifying; however, the area has been dark since when? Something happened recently, and Noel also remains calm in the present situation.

“Why did the light go out?” Allen asks.

“Apex seekers.” Noel replied. In a short time, the light slowly ran back on, but it was very dim. She leers over Warren's shoulder and begins to speak. “There are traitors among your men, Warren.”

“Traitors? Don’t say something nonsense, girl.”

“You sure?” She cast her hand to the man next to Warren, and, the mini-crane inside the smithery instantly grabbed the fleeing suspect on her command, pulling him back toward her. Not sure how Noel is able to do that; does she also equip a lie-detector on her personal features? —Moreover, Warren gave her his pistol unwillingly, and I’m quite sure he wants proof just as I do.

She firmly racked the pistol slide, making a sound like a slingshot as the grip came off. She held the gun in a very professional way. Or I would rather call a very uncommon posture for firearms, the technical ops stance: red-code-Spectres. I knew that because I was almost one of them before. Her killing intent is not as terrifying as the stance in which she holds the gun now. If Noel learned to wield the weapon like that, surely she knows how to slaughter some Spectres, even without her primordial powers. After a few words were exchanged, the suspect denied every accusation, so she shot him in the leg. “Why don’t you show him that little gizmo in your shirt pocket?” Said Noel, looking down at the man, racking the slide for another shot.

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“You even know about that?— How?”

“I can read every transmission if I ever want to.” . . . “Over the skies, they’re coming. You gave them our location.” Noel looked up at the ceiling. The buzzing sound becomes clear in the dead silence, with strong electric fuzzes from flying drones and wind blades getting sharper and sharper. No one knows what will happen next; even the suspect had no idea it was the tracking device, but Noel told them it was too late now… They were all already surrounded by Apex from afar. On the outside, casted observation lights floating all around trailed the darkness in the skies after everyone left the hideout to open the area. Since when, flying search-drones have been disturbing the yard. Also, the sound of nearby heavy engines getting even louder and closer confirms that this is one of Apex’s mother aircraft. Allen looked up to where a cargo-airplane was slowly plunging toward the city from the clouds—falling to the Underworld's territorial skies from the upper city layer that was called: Centralica, the mid-city level of this Apex’s Mega-Acropolis (where we all live). ‘The harbinger, an aircraft loaded with full of Spectres’

“If you still value your life, run as far as you can.” Said Noel.

“Then what about you? Missy.” Warren couldn’t let go of his men's faults.

“I will handle them; they’re coming for me anyway.” Even though Warren declined, Noel yelled at him, forcing all the Tinkers to leave. A forceful method was used by the machines she had, because this matter no longer relates to Tinkers.

. . .

She turned, looking at me as her last resort. I know what she will say.

“Now, I’m sorry for everything. You should leave me too, Allen; playtime is over after all.” All I can see is sorrow in her eyes, and that does not resonate with my little sister at all. But something wasn’t right; it felt nostalgic, something that couldn’t be described, something communicating inside me to never let go of her again.

“If I run away, who else will look out for my little sister?” I patted her head, looking up at the dark sky that was trailed by searching lights. She looked at me, looming with emotions, then turned away, wiping her face with her elbow.

“This is my problem; I no longer need you, brother.” She said so, but was still looking away, avoiding eye contact.

“But I need you—Noel, you’re still my little sister. No matter how.”

She paused.

“You still owe me an explanation, remember?”

“Yes I do.”

“You better explain to me well after everything ends, Noel.”

“Thank you, and sorry bro—”

I crossed my fingers over her lips.

“You don’t have to be sorry. We just need to confront it together, right? Noel?”

She nods, gratefully and with a thankful heart deep inside. Then I released my fingers from her.

“I owe you again, brother.”

“Yes, you are.” *Flicks over Noel’s forehead*

◤

As we hid in an ambush shelter, we looked out over the aircraft that breached the sky as they descended from the airspace of Centralica down toward the Underworld realm. That military-cargo-plane releases search drones—exploring this nether junk yard, many soldiers and mercenaries rappelled down, along with many cargos of robots that seem to be Spectre droids. Those squads were Spectre units, the merciless shadow-ops of Apex. It became clear now why an advanced-ops team would use such an obsolete technology as cables back then when I found Noel. To prevent such an entity as Noel from taking over control of their droids, they cut out the wireless connection method. But wasn’t it too many units to hunt down just one person? —I looked over at Noel, and soon…“Ouch!”

She bites my hand, which was taken during my absence. That was pretty deep, and I felt a lot of my blood leak out, which she seems to be drinking it as well. Seconds later, I feel paralyzed, as if I am petrified.

“You will stay here, observing, my brother.”

The girl leaves the room in a hideout building; she walks out and heads to another structure nearby.

By the time Allen regained his mobility, the bullet storm had already echoed from everywhere in this raided junkyard.

The Orchestrator & The Conductor (1/2)